The Man of Hope
by The Hemophiliac
Summary: He will give the people an idea to strive towards. The people will race behind him, they will stumble, they will fall. In time, they will join him in the sun, and he will accomplish wonders. In the end, is victory worth the pain the Man of Steel had to endure?


**Another story I had in mind for a while, I hope you enjoy.**

**I do not own anything from DC comics.**

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**1980**

"And what precisely is your decision, Kal of El?" The Kryptonian general Zod stood expectantly, with his arms crossed. They all stood within the fortress of solitude, at a final showdown. Kal-El, Zod, Ursa, who was holding Metropolis reporter Lois Lane in a vice-like grip, Zod's right hand Non, and even Lex Luthor.

Kal shook his head. "I don't want anymore bloodshed. You've done too much already... I submit, Zod." He looked at the floor in defeat.

The general smirked at this, holding out his hand in dominance. "Come forth then, 'savior of the Earth.' It is time you find your place in the new Krypton."

Kal-El stepped toward him, glancing at Lois, and then back to Zod. It was a miracle when he heard the reports that there were others of his kind here on earth. He hadn't anticipated them on being from a bloodline whose sole purpose was to rule with an iron fist. He tried everything he could in order to ally earth with Zod.

Anything that would have allowed freedom for all; The General, however, wanted nothing other than to essentially become a god. He decimated the entire military force of the United States of America, and even stormed into the white house. There, he made his declaration of power and authority, soon luring Lex Luthor under his command.

Superman grabbed Zod's hand in submission, gently at first, and then made his move. Using all of his supernatural strength, the general's hand was crushed into a crumpled mass, breaking his facade of invincibility. Kal took him by his shoulders, and hurled him at the wall at the back of the throne room. Zod began to slide down the alien crystal, his screams becoming echoes as he fell into the abyss.

Turning to Non, Kal-El blew out a forceful wind that sent the muscular warrior sprawling into the hole. Seizing the opportunity, Lois wrestled out of Ursa's grasp and spun around to face her.

She arched an eyebrow at the huntress. "You know, you really are a pain in the neck!" Before Ursa could reply, she stumbled back as soon as Lois cracked her fist right between her eyes. Before she could regain her composure, Ursa tripped on the lip of the ledge, joining her fellow dictators in eternal darkness.

Kal rushed over to Lois, putting a comforting hand around her shoulders. "Are you alright? Usually most beings can't really handle our tough skin." He took on a worried expression as she examined her hand.

"I'll be fine. Just a little bruising, nothing a few days can't fix." She turned her head to look at him, and noticed that their faces were only a few inches apart. Kal took the hint, and began to lean forward.

"Hey, anyone going to take me home? This whole thing was a bust." They stopped abruptly, blushing now that their moment was ruined.

Kal looked at Lex, who was casually sitting in the throne. He held his arms out, as if saying "Anything? No?"

Superman shrugged. "Oh don't worry, I'm sure the government would love to chat with you. C'mon everyone, I'm making my mom's famous apple pies with a side of... justice."

The three laughed like old friends, and soon flew back to civilisation in man of steel's arms.

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**2013**

Zod crashed into a building that was under construction, sending metal beams and concrete flying every which way. With a frustrated growl, he smacked his hands on his own chest, releasing the clasps that held his armor together. Kal was proving to be a match for him, something he didn't expect. Then again, he did destroy the world engine alone.

The general floated proudly in front of Superman, boasting his house's symbol, something akin to a horseshoe. "You removed my purpose, Kal. you ruined all chances of us being able to see home again! And for what? A race of primitive, lesser beings that can barely sustain themselves for eighty decades?"

Kal only shook his head in frustration. "No! This is our new home now! They accept me, and they would have accepted you, Jax-Ur, and Faora-"

Zod's temper snapped. "Don't you even dare to mention her name!" Losing his will to listen to any more of the man of steel's pontifications, he whipped toward him at an alarming speed. They collided, cracking the air around them, and shattering nearby windows.

They traded blows, with Kal trying to incapacitate Zod, while the general only wanted to tear him limb from limb. Superman managed to find an opening, and tackled him onto the roof of a structure made of white stone. "Why, Zod? why did you do it? Why did you murder them?" He struggled to keep the general pinned.

"I did what I was programmed to do! They all wanted to use Krypton's core, despite how abused it already was! Kal, this was the only way, no one would listen!", Zod said through bloody, gritted teeth. "Not even your own mother had the foresight to see what they were doing."

"So you killed them?" Kal's grip lessened slightly.

"I am a protector of our home, and I will do whatever it takes in order to keep it safe! Even if it means genocide. I could have started it all over, but you made sure to prevent that." Zod winced as Kal-El's grip found it's new strength.

"I did what I had to in order to protect Earth and it's people. I grew up among them, and I will be damned to the phantom zone if I'm going to sit by and watch you destroy everything I've ever loved."

Zod ceased struggling. "Then so be it." Before he could let Kal question him, he lifted his head off of the roof as far as his prone position would allow. Then, with a mighty yell, he obliterated the roof, sending them into a lobby of polished ebony and ivory.

Kal groggily regained his footing, but not before Zod backhanded him a couple of feet back. However, he was cracked alongside the head as Superman flew up to him and effectively had him a headlock. Zod relaxed when he saw that they were not alone. Two men, a woman, and a young boy stood in awe in the corner of the room, unable to follow the other evacuees.

"If you love these people so much," he began, struggling once more,"You can mourn for them!"

He faced the civilians with all of his determination, setting his gaze only on them. He summoned all of his rage toward the unacceptable losses it took to get to earth, only to have his hopes of having his home erased by this young warrior.

He brought forth his eternal sadness, the fact that he would never be able to create his own bloodline with Faora Hu-ul, that he would never see the see the red sun rise above Krypton ever again. His eyes burned a bright red as he concentrated all of his final strength, firing twin beams that carved crookedly into the wall.

The people cowered even more, begging for a chance to be spared. Kal struggled with him, desperately trying to keep Zod from harming the innocent people. "Don't do this!"

The beams raced up and down, but they could not reach them. Kal tried again to stop Zod. "Stop!" His pleas had no effect, and the incinerating beams only continued to edge closer to the frightened people.

"No, STOP!" Closer. The man closest hastily removed his coat, and he was sweating profusely. He tried to push the others as far away as possible, but only pushed them into the opposite wall.

Zod intensified his fury. "Never."

Kal looked to the people, taking in their fearful expressions. The boy's face was soaked in tears, and he trembled in the woman's arms.

"Mommy, help me!"

Kal's eyes widened in surprise. For his mother, so that she may hold him again. Wincing with discomfort, Superman whipped his left hand back as hard as he could. The room fell into an instant silence, save for the dull thud of Zod's corpse. Lois came rushing into the lobby, gasping at the scene before her.

Kal stepped back once, and fell to his knees as the weight of his realization hit him. He killed one of his own. No... he killed. His real home was gone forever, and the only one who could have saved it by another means laid dead at his knees. He had no choice; It was this, or watch an innocent group of people be killed by an honorable warrior gone rogue.

Lois Lane crept up behind him, unsure of what to say, or to do. There was no need, as Kal reared his head, yelling to the sky in grief. His stress was enough to give a clear message: He wasn't ready to kill. It wasn't right. She crouched down beside him, setting a hand on his shoulder in comfort.

"It was him... or him." She pointed to the boy, who was approaching him. Kal said nothing, his own tears dropping silently onto the marble floor. Lois sighed, standing up and dusting herself off.

The child stepped closer and closer, until he was only a few inches away from Superman's face. "Thank you for saving me and mommy." He had the sweetest voice Kal had ever heard.

"It's my duty to you." Kal smiled sadly at him.

The boy reached forward, hugging him with all of his young strength. After a moment of hesitation, Kal placed his arms around the boy's back. When he let go, the mother stepped up behind the boy.

"Thank you. For everything." She chuckled, wiping away soot that stained her forehead.

Kal only nodded, and then removed his cape. He knelt down, and held it out to the boy. He took it, and hugged it like it was his own life. Superman walked past them, and picked up Zod's inert body. He turned around toward Lois and the others.

"Goodbye. We'll see eachother soon."

Without another word, Kal flew out into the stormy sky, the general in hand.


End file.
